The Village People's Strange Journey from Disco Icons to MAGA Anthem
By
David Browne
Summary
A deep-dive feature exploring the surreal cultural and political journey of the Village People, from their origins as a campy disco group in the 1970s to becoming the unofficial musical mascots of Donald Trump's MAGA movement. The article centers on Jonathan Belolo, son of co-founder Jacques Belolo, who witnesses Trump performing "Y.M.C.A." with the band onstage at a pre-inauguration rally. It examines the band's complicated relationship with its own legacy, the irony of a group built on gay subculture and coded queer anthems being embraced by a conservative political movement, and the internal tensions among surviving members over licensing and political association.
Source
Twitter / XThe Village People's Strange Journey from Disco Icons to MAGA Anthemrollingstone.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledAs he watched from behind the stage at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 19, Belolo beheld one of the strangest sights of the Village People chronicle.
The current version of the long-running band launched into its exuberant 'Y.M.C.A.,' they were joined onstage by their most prominent fan — Donald Trump, just hours away from taking office.
Many people grew up with the music of the Village People, but Jonathan Belolo literally did. His father co-founded the disco group in 1977.
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